COSTA RICA
Highlights Tour
10 days / 9 nights
Price dependent on group size and dates requested
This itinerary is perfect for people who don't have two or three weeks to travel or who want to see a lot of birds without a lot of physical exertion. It can be done at any time of year, but we highly recommed that you consider traveling between mid-July and mid-August to take advantage of the best pricing.
Although most people think the best time to visit Costa Rica, weather-wise, is December-May, Costa Rica is actually a year-round destination. Even in the rainy season, days often start out warm and sunny. As in many tropical destinations worldwide, 23 hours of a given day may be dry and pleasant; and during the 24th, the rain can come down with the force of a waterfall. In the highlands, rainy season typically brings an hour or two of rain midafternoon, allowing for great morning outings, a midday rest, and more birding in the afternoon. With green season comes nesting activity and the opportunity to see breeding behavior and birds tending their nests. You can schedule your trip to coincide with veranillo (little summer), a relatively dry period that usually occurs mid-July into August, particularly along the Pacific coast. The best of both worlds - green season bird activity with less rainfall to interfere with our birding, all at a lower price!
ITINERARY
Day 1:Arrival and transfer to Savegre
You will be met at the San Jose International Airport. Once everyone has arrived, we will begin our drive toward Savegre Mountain Lodge, where we will begin searching for one of our target species, the Resplendent Quetzal, and other birds of the highlands. The amount of time spent birding today will depend on arrival times of participants.
Overnight Savegre Mountain Lodge D
Day 2: Cerro de la Muerte
We will drive to Cerro de la Muerte for some excellent highland birding. We will visit the highest mountains of the Talamanca Mountain Range, with elevations ranging between 7200 and 11,000 feet above sea level. Highland habitats such as the Tropical Highland Rainforest and the Subalpine Rain Paramo with its dwarfed vegetation should afford us the opportunity to see a myriad of species, including Highland Tinamou, Spotted Wood-Quail, Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge, Collared Forest Falcon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Ruddy Pigeon, Red-billed Pigeon, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Barred Parakeet, Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, Dusky Nightjar, Magnificent Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, White-throated Mountain Gem, Green-crowned Brilliant, Resplendent Quetzal, Collared Trogon, Emerald Toucanet, Acorn Woodpecker, Golden-Olive Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Lineated Foliage Gleaner, Zeledonia, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Dark Pewee, Ochraceous Pewee, Black Phoebe, Black-capped Flycatcher, Mountain Elaenia, Timberline Wren, Ochraceous Wren, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Sooty Robin, Mountain Robin, American Dipper, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Yellow-winged Vireo, Brown-capped Vireo, Black-cheeked Warbler, Flame-throated Warbler, Elegant Euphonia, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Sooty-capped Bush Tanager, Flame-colored Tanager, Spangled-cheeked Tanager, Black-thighed Grosbeak, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Peg-billed Finch, Slaty Finch, Yellow-bellied Siskin, and Volcano Junco.
Overnight Savegre Mountain Lodge BLD
Day 3: Savegre Trails / Carara / Villa Lapas
The area where the Savegre Mountain Lodge lies was once a humble but productive family-run farm founded by Efrain Chacon and his brother in 1954. Now guests of the lodge frequently enjoy the thrill of seeing Resplendent Quetzals as they fly across the courtyard or attend to their nearby nests. After some final early-morning birding at Savegre, we will leave for the area surrounding Carara National Park. Located in one of the most diverse areas of the planet, Carara National Park and nearby Villa Lapas are amazing places for birding. Lying between two major biological regions of Costa Rica, the Tropical Lowland Dry Forest to the north and the Tropical Lowland Wet Forest to the South, Carara and Villa Lapas are situated at a meeting point for species of both regions. Carara National Park protects some populations of species on the brink of extinction such as the American Crocodile and the Scarlet Macaw.
The topography of Villa Lapas - steep hillsides and deep canyons - offers a wonderful hideaway for a myriad of bird species. In addition, its proximity to the ocean provides guests of Villa Lapas an opportunity to visit the mud flats on the Pacific Coast, and its canopy walkway allows you to view canopy species at eye level.
Target species for Carara and environs include Great Tinamou, Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Boat-billed Heron, Wood Stork, White Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mangrove Black Hawk, Crested Caracara, Purple Gallinule, Scarlet Macaw, Yellow-naped Parrot, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Spectacled Owl, Bronzy Hermit, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Blue-throated Goldentail, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Cinnnamon Hummingbird, Baird’s Trogon, Turquoise-browed Motmot, White-whiskered Puffbird, Fiery-billed Aracari, Hoffman’s Woodpecker, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Plain Xenops, Spectacled Antpitta, Dusky Antbird, Orange-collared Manakin, Rose-throated Becard, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Royal Flycatcher, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Northern Bentbill, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Mangrove Swallow, Rufous-breasted Wren, Rufous-naped Wren, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Scrub Euphonia, Blue-black Grosbeak, Orange-billed Sparrow, and Black-striped Sparrow.
Overnight Villa Lapas BLD
Day 4: Carara /Villa Lapas /Canopy Walkway
This morning, we will bird from the canopy walkway at Villa Lapas and continue to bird the remarkable Carara National Park. In the afternoon, we will enjoy a crocodile safari on the Tarcoles River, where we are likely to observe the endangered American Crocodile as well as many bird species including Scarlet Macaws as they fly overhead returning to their evening roosts.
Overnight Villa Lapas BLD
Day 5: Villa Lapas / Rio Chiquito / Monteverde
After some pre-breakfast birding on the grounds of Villa Lapas, we will make our way to Monteverde, making some strategic stops for birding along the way, including a stop at the Rio Chiquito.
Overnight Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge BLD
Day 6: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Monteverde Cloud Forest lodge is strategically located in the area of Monteverde where three different life zones converge so you can see birds from the Cloud Forest as well as birds from the lower moist-to-dry forests. Literally thousands of ornithologists have spent time observing the intricate relationships among the birds of Monteverde.
Although many birders come to Monteverde to search specifically for the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal, we expect to find many other species as well, including Highland Tinamou, Black Guan, Swallow-tailed Kite, Barred Forest-Falcon, Black Hawk-Eagle, Black-breasted Wood-Quail, Ruddy Pigeon, Chiriqui Quail-Dove, Brown-hooded Parrot, White-fronted Parrot, Mottled Owl, Coppery-headed Emerald, Fork-tailed Emerald, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Purple-throated Mountain Gem, Violet Sabrewing, Green-crowned Brilliant, Striped-tailed Hummingbird, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Orange-bellied Trogon, Emerald Toucanet, Keel-billed Toucan, Prong-billed Barbet, Blue-crowned Motmot, Golden-Olive Woodpecker, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Spotted Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Three-wattled Bellbird, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Scaled-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Rufous-and-white Wren, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, White-throated Robin, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush, Black and Yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Collared Redstart, Slate-throated Redstart, Three-striped Warbler, Golden-crowned Warbler, Common Bush-Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Spangled-cheeked Tanager, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, and White-eared Ground-Sparrow.
In the afternoon, we will have the opportunity to enjoy the Selvatura Canopy Tour, a series of platforms in the forest connected by ziplines. (Optional,no fee) In the evening, we will enjoy an authentic Costa Rican dinner at one of the local restaurants (self-pay).
Overnight Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge BL
Day 7: Monteverde / La Selva
After some final early-morning birding at Monteverde, we will leave for Sarapiqui and La Selva Biological Station, one of the most bird-rich environments in the Caribbean lowlands.
Overnight La Selva Biological Station BLD
Day 8: La Selva Biological Station
One of the most important locations for the study of tropical ecosystems in the world, La Selva comprises some 3900 acres of tropical wet forests in the Caribbean lowlands and foothills of the Central Volcanic Mountain Range. Located near Braulio Carrillo National Park, La Selva has an elevation of just over 100 feet above sea level and it averages over 13 feet of rain distributed evenly over the year.
La Selva’s fauna is very diverse, including large species from the most amazing predators like jaguars through the most incredible variety of amphibians and reptiles. We hope to find many of the 400 species of birds listed at La Selva including (but not limited to) Slaty-breasted Tinamou, Great Curassow, Green Ibis, Sungrebe, Semiplumbeous Hawk, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Great Green Macaw, Great Potoo, Long-billed Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Green and Rufous Kingfishers, Lattice-tailed Trogon, Pied Puffbird, White-fronted Nunbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Keel-billed Toucan, Rufous Motmot, Broad-billed Motmot, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Northern Barred Woodcreeper, Dot-winged Antwren, Bicolored Antbird, White-collared Manakin, White-ringed Flycatcher, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Snowy Cotinga, Purple-throated Fruit Crow, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, White-throated Shrike-Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Olive-backed Euphonia, and Black-faced Grosbeak.
Overnight La Selva Biological Station BLD
Day 9: Transfer to San Jose for international flights
Today you will be transported to the international airport in San Jose for your flight home.
B
Price Includes:
~ Lodging in comfortable hotel/lodges
~ All meals as indicated
~ All transportation within Costa Rica
~ All activities listed in the itinerary
~ Airport transfers
~ Entrance fees
~ Expert bilingual birding guide
Price does NOT Include:
~ International airfare to San Jose, Costa Rica
~ Tourist card (if required)
~ Airport departure tax (if required)
~ Dinner on day 6
~ Expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls, extra drinks and snacks, souvenirs, etc.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Deposit of $400 with registration.
Balance is due 90 days prior to departure date.
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather, landslides, and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
937-862-4505 (home)
937-974-0802 (cell)
cheepers@sbcglobal.net
oz1221@sbcglobal.net
Although most people think the best time to visit Costa Rica, weather-wise, is December-May, Costa Rica is actually a year-round destination. Even in the rainy season, days often start out warm and sunny. As in many tropical destinations worldwide, 23 hours of a given day may be dry and pleasant; and during the 24th, the rain can come down with the force of a waterfall. In the highlands, rainy season typically brings an hour or two of rain midafternoon, allowing for great morning outings, a midday rest, and more birding in the afternoon. With green season comes nesting activity and the opportunity to see breeding behavior and birds tending their nests. You can schedule your trip to coincide with veranillo (little summer), a relatively dry period that usually occurs mid-July into August, particularly along the Pacific coast. The best of both worlds - green season bird activity with less rainfall to interfere with our birding, all at a lower price!
ITINERARY
Day 1:Arrival and transfer to Savegre
You will be met at the San Jose International Airport. Once everyone has arrived, we will begin our drive toward Savegre Mountain Lodge, where we will begin searching for one of our target species, the Resplendent Quetzal, and other birds of the highlands. The amount of time spent birding today will depend on arrival times of participants.
Overnight Savegre Mountain Lodge D
Day 2: Cerro de la Muerte
We will drive to Cerro de la Muerte for some excellent highland birding. We will visit the highest mountains of the Talamanca Mountain Range, with elevations ranging between 7200 and 11,000 feet above sea level. Highland habitats such as the Tropical Highland Rainforest and the Subalpine Rain Paramo with its dwarfed vegetation should afford us the opportunity to see a myriad of species, including Highland Tinamou, Spotted Wood-Quail, Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge, Collared Forest Falcon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Ruddy Pigeon, Red-billed Pigeon, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Barred Parakeet, Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, Dusky Nightjar, Magnificent Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, White-throated Mountain Gem, Green-crowned Brilliant, Resplendent Quetzal, Collared Trogon, Emerald Toucanet, Acorn Woodpecker, Golden-Olive Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Lineated Foliage Gleaner, Zeledonia, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Dark Pewee, Ochraceous Pewee, Black Phoebe, Black-capped Flycatcher, Mountain Elaenia, Timberline Wren, Ochraceous Wren, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Sooty Robin, Mountain Robin, American Dipper, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Yellow-winged Vireo, Brown-capped Vireo, Black-cheeked Warbler, Flame-throated Warbler, Elegant Euphonia, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Sooty-capped Bush Tanager, Flame-colored Tanager, Spangled-cheeked Tanager, Black-thighed Grosbeak, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Peg-billed Finch, Slaty Finch, Yellow-bellied Siskin, and Volcano Junco.
Overnight Savegre Mountain Lodge BLD
Day 3: Savegre Trails / Carara / Villa Lapas
The area where the Savegre Mountain Lodge lies was once a humble but productive family-run farm founded by Efrain Chacon and his brother in 1954. Now guests of the lodge frequently enjoy the thrill of seeing Resplendent Quetzals as they fly across the courtyard or attend to their nearby nests. After some final early-morning birding at Savegre, we will leave for the area surrounding Carara National Park. Located in one of the most diverse areas of the planet, Carara National Park and nearby Villa Lapas are amazing places for birding. Lying between two major biological regions of Costa Rica, the Tropical Lowland Dry Forest to the north and the Tropical Lowland Wet Forest to the South, Carara and Villa Lapas are situated at a meeting point for species of both regions. Carara National Park protects some populations of species on the brink of extinction such as the American Crocodile and the Scarlet Macaw.
The topography of Villa Lapas - steep hillsides and deep canyons - offers a wonderful hideaway for a myriad of bird species. In addition, its proximity to the ocean provides guests of Villa Lapas an opportunity to visit the mud flats on the Pacific Coast, and its canopy walkway allows you to view canopy species at eye level.
Target species for Carara and environs include Great Tinamou, Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Boat-billed Heron, Wood Stork, White Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mangrove Black Hawk, Crested Caracara, Purple Gallinule, Scarlet Macaw, Yellow-naped Parrot, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Spectacled Owl, Bronzy Hermit, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Blue-throated Goldentail, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Cinnnamon Hummingbird, Baird’s Trogon, Turquoise-browed Motmot, White-whiskered Puffbird, Fiery-billed Aracari, Hoffman’s Woodpecker, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Plain Xenops, Spectacled Antpitta, Dusky Antbird, Orange-collared Manakin, Rose-throated Becard, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Royal Flycatcher, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Northern Bentbill, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Mangrove Swallow, Rufous-breasted Wren, Rufous-naped Wren, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Scrub Euphonia, Blue-black Grosbeak, Orange-billed Sparrow, and Black-striped Sparrow.
Overnight Villa Lapas BLD
Day 4: Carara /Villa Lapas /Canopy Walkway
This morning, we will bird from the canopy walkway at Villa Lapas and continue to bird the remarkable Carara National Park. In the afternoon, we will enjoy a crocodile safari on the Tarcoles River, where we are likely to observe the endangered American Crocodile as well as many bird species including Scarlet Macaws as they fly overhead returning to their evening roosts.
Overnight Villa Lapas BLD
Day 5: Villa Lapas / Rio Chiquito / Monteverde
After some pre-breakfast birding on the grounds of Villa Lapas, we will make our way to Monteverde, making some strategic stops for birding along the way, including a stop at the Rio Chiquito.
Overnight Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge BLD
Day 6: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Monteverde Cloud Forest lodge is strategically located in the area of Monteverde where three different life zones converge so you can see birds from the Cloud Forest as well as birds from the lower moist-to-dry forests. Literally thousands of ornithologists have spent time observing the intricate relationships among the birds of Monteverde.
Although many birders come to Monteverde to search specifically for the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal, we expect to find many other species as well, including Highland Tinamou, Black Guan, Swallow-tailed Kite, Barred Forest-Falcon, Black Hawk-Eagle, Black-breasted Wood-Quail, Ruddy Pigeon, Chiriqui Quail-Dove, Brown-hooded Parrot, White-fronted Parrot, Mottled Owl, Coppery-headed Emerald, Fork-tailed Emerald, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Purple-throated Mountain Gem, Violet Sabrewing, Green-crowned Brilliant, Striped-tailed Hummingbird, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Orange-bellied Trogon, Emerald Toucanet, Keel-billed Toucan, Prong-billed Barbet, Blue-crowned Motmot, Golden-Olive Woodpecker, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Spotted Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Three-wattled Bellbird, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Scaled-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Rufous-and-white Wren, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, White-throated Robin, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush, Black and Yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Collared Redstart, Slate-throated Redstart, Three-striped Warbler, Golden-crowned Warbler, Common Bush-Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Spangled-cheeked Tanager, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Stripe-headed Brush-Finch, and White-eared Ground-Sparrow.
In the afternoon, we will have the opportunity to enjoy the Selvatura Canopy Tour, a series of platforms in the forest connected by ziplines. (Optional,no fee) In the evening, we will enjoy an authentic Costa Rican dinner at one of the local restaurants (self-pay).
Overnight Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge BL
Day 7: Monteverde / La Selva
After some final early-morning birding at Monteverde, we will leave for Sarapiqui and La Selva Biological Station, one of the most bird-rich environments in the Caribbean lowlands.
Overnight La Selva Biological Station BLD
Day 8: La Selva Biological Station
One of the most important locations for the study of tropical ecosystems in the world, La Selva comprises some 3900 acres of tropical wet forests in the Caribbean lowlands and foothills of the Central Volcanic Mountain Range. Located near Braulio Carrillo National Park, La Selva has an elevation of just over 100 feet above sea level and it averages over 13 feet of rain distributed evenly over the year.
La Selva’s fauna is very diverse, including large species from the most amazing predators like jaguars through the most incredible variety of amphibians and reptiles. We hope to find many of the 400 species of birds listed at La Selva including (but not limited to) Slaty-breasted Tinamou, Great Curassow, Green Ibis, Sungrebe, Semiplumbeous Hawk, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Great Green Macaw, Great Potoo, Long-billed Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Green and Rufous Kingfishers, Lattice-tailed Trogon, Pied Puffbird, White-fronted Nunbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Keel-billed Toucan, Rufous Motmot, Broad-billed Motmot, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Northern Barred Woodcreeper, Dot-winged Antwren, Bicolored Antbird, White-collared Manakin, White-ringed Flycatcher, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Snowy Cotinga, Purple-throated Fruit Crow, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, White-throated Shrike-Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Olive-backed Euphonia, and Black-faced Grosbeak.
Overnight La Selva Biological Station BLD
Day 9: Transfer to San Jose for international flights
Today you will be transported to the international airport in San Jose for your flight home.
B
Price Includes:
~ Lodging in comfortable hotel/lodges
~ All meals as indicated
~ All transportation within Costa Rica
~ All activities listed in the itinerary
~ Airport transfers
~ Entrance fees
~ Expert bilingual birding guide
Price does NOT Include:
~ International airfare to San Jose, Costa Rica
~ Tourist card (if required)
~ Airport departure tax (if required)
~ Dinner on day 6
~ Expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls, extra drinks and snacks, souvenirs, etc.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Deposit of $400 with registration.
Balance is due 90 days prior to departure date.
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather, landslides, and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
937-862-4505 (home)
937-974-0802 (cell)
cheepers@sbcglobal.net
oz1221@sbcglobal.net
